Dan Jarvis 'working round clock' to finalise defence spending plan

Key Points:

• New UK Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis is working intensively to finalise the delayed Defence Investment Plan (DIP), aiming to ensure the armed forces receive necessary resources amid ongoing funding disputes.
• Jarvis has not confirmed whether he will seek additional funding beyond the current settlement, which former Defence Secretary John Healey criticized as insufficient, projecting defence spending at 2.68% of GDP by 2030 versus a 3% target.
• The UK faces international pressure to increase military budgets in line with NATO commitments, including a target of 3.5% of GDP by 2035, with NATO officials urging member countries to present credible plans for defence spending increases.
• At a NATO summit, Jarvis announced UK support for Ukraine through provision of drones and air defence equipment funded by seized Russian assets, while US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth criticized some NATO members for lacking credible spending plans.
• NATO aims for members to invest 5% of GDP in defence and resilience by 2035, with a new policy linking US contributions to NATO dues with other countries' defence spending compliance, emphasizing a "two-way street" approach to alliance funding.